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Bay Area Arts and Entertainment BlogMon, 30 Mar 2015 12:40:46 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1New Adventure Time game nails down fun of cartoon serieshttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2012/08/29/the-new-adventure-time-game-nails-down-the-fun-of-the-cartoon-series/
http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2012/08/29/the-new-adventure-time-game-nails-down-the-fun-of-the-cartoon-series/#commentsWed, 29 Aug 2012 11:00:55 +0000Gieson Cachohttp://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/?p=24827
As someone who has just watched his first episode of Adventure Time a few hours ago, I have to say that the experience was surreal. The video game-inspired series on the Cartoon Network has no shortage of oddness: a sugarland… Continue Reading →]]>
As someone who has just watched his first episode of Adventure Time a few hours ago, I have to say that the experience was surreal. The video game-inspired series on the Cartoon Network has no shortage of oddness: a sugarland kingdom, a hero with noodle-like arms and a dog sidekick that can transform into almost any shape. I swear the animated comedy must have been done under the influence of some narcotic.
The problem was that I had no idea what was going on. There were so many random characters and asides. Don’t get me wrong. The show is funny. It’s just bizarre when one character gets bitten and turns all lumpy and in the next episode a villain goes on a dreamlike spirit walk to talk to the Cosmic Owl.
But for some reason, when I played the upcoming title Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d you steal our garbage?!!, the game cast the cartoon in a more coherent light. In fact, it interlocks with the TV show putting the Land of Ooo and its inhabitants in crystalizing context.
Jake will gain more powers in the game to help Finn navigate new terrain and help him in combat.A THROWBACK: Done in the classic 1980s RPG style, the Adventure Time game puts players in the shoes of its heroes Finn and Jake. They wake up discovering that they shared a nightmare, in which the aforementioned owl defeats them. That’s the ill omen that leads to a convenient tutorial level in a secret basement, where players learn how Finn can break punch, kick, slide and use Jake's powers to hit foes.
In WayForward, D3 Publisher picked the perfect developer to bring the show to life. Known for titles such as Aliens: Infestation and Shantae, the studio has a reputation for bringing a retro feel to their projects. For those who grew up playing NES, Adventure Time's combat will remind them of action-oriented titles such as Kung Fu or Batman while the questing and adventuring harkens back to The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link.
The Land of Ooo contains four worlds. I spent most of time in the upper right corner.LIVING UP TO ITS NAME: So where does the long subtitle come into play? Well, when Finn and Jake head outsie they discover that yes, the Ice King has stolen their trash. Jake doesn’t think it’s a big deal. It is garbage after all but Finn sees something wrong with it and sets off on a quest to set it right. He'll also want to bring the series' main villain to justice.
Series creator Pendleton Ward wrote the story, so it sounds like the cartoons. The soundtrack, which bleeds the MIDI notes of the old Dragon Warrior, is original as well. As Finn, I wandered the overworld with Jake in tow stopping by Water Nymph Fountains to save my game and refill my health before setting out.
Like in Zelda II, players have to avoid monsters if they don’t want to get into encounters, but if they do stumble into one, they have to defeat all the creatures in the short level or exit out. There is an incentive to beat every monster in a battle though: Players get a treasure chest with goodies in it in addition to the random prizes enemies drop when defeated.
The Lumpy Space Princess is one of the characters you meet in the game. She is full of shadenfreudeAND IT GETS EVEN WEIRDER: Eventually, I reached my first town, which is full of Housies. They’re basically beings that look like houses. They're talking buildings that walk on feet and spout off problems. (I am not making this up.) In this case, a grass ogre named Donny is terrorizing the town. He has stolen mail and the Housies ask you to get the parcel back.
Princess Bubblegum also happens to be in the area and she offers to help you with the map if you can find the right cart for BMO, the sentient video game console that travels with Finn. Heading north of the town, players will find the villain after going through a transition level, where they’ll fight creatures such as sign post monsters or rabbits with knives tied to their heads.
The boss fight against Donny is fairly standard. Memorizing his attack pattern, players have to dodge his attacks and retaliate. The interesting thing is that the items Finn collects in his adventure can be combined, especially the food. They’ll find ketchup and a burger separately. Combine the condiment with the sandwich and more health will be restored than if they were used alone. It’s something that players can experiment with, but they have to be careful. Some combinations like cupcakes and syrup will make you lose health.
Those healing combos are important because initially Finn has short life meter of two hearts. That gradually grows over the course of the campaign as he discovers Wizards Stars that boosts his stats. That’s the light RPG element involved. Players can upgrade maximum health, power of attacks or the walking speed. Jake also gets upgrade as well that can presumably aid Finn in his quest.
The battle against Donny is a breeze. The grass ogre is a pushover. CUSTOMIZING FINN: Players can build Finn however they want based on their priorities, but they can find all 12 Wizard Stars in the game to max out his character. So I made short work of Donny and got the parcel back but I had a harder time looking for a map cart for BMO. But that wasn’t a big deal because the questing in Adventure Time is nonlinear and it’s OK to have a few quests going on at the same time.
Soon enough, I ran into another town run by the Hot Dog Princess. She needed help, and like the gentlemen I am, I offered my aid to this damsel in distress. I went out adventuring but I ran into an impossible pit. It was too wide to leap across and I suspect that it’s one of the scenarios where players have to come back later with a new power to proceed or they could just activate baby shoes, which is an item that grants super speed, and attempt the jump.
If you see a fountain, use it no matter where you are. If you die, you'll start over there.REMEMBER TO ALWAYS SAVE: I tried jumping the first time and died. It was then I realized that I didn’t save since my initial visit to the fountain, which was dozens of minutes ago. That was disheartening. Like those classic platformers, Adventure Time is punishing and any misstep can leave you frustrated. That’s why it’s good policy to save and save often like any time you see a Water Fountain or go into a dungeon.
Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d you steal our garbage?!! is expected to be released for the Nintedo 3DS and Nintendo DS this fall.
Extra Tidbit
There’s going to be a Collector’s Edition for Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d you steal our garbage?!! it will include extra goodies such as a stylus that looks like Finn’s Gold Sword, a bonus map featuring the Land of Ooo, Book of Beasts and an Enchiridion SteelBook case. It will retail for $39.95, which isn’t that bad for a portable game. Some PlayStation Vita games cost that much.
Images courtesy of D3 PublishersWant to know what Gieson Cacho is playing? Follow him on Twitter. ]]>http://blogs.mercurynews.com/aei/2012/08/29/the-new-adventure-time-game-nails-down-the-fun-of-the-cartoon-series/feed/5AT screen 8.22 (11)AT screen 8.22 (12)AT screen 8.22 (1)AT screen 8.22 (2)AT screen 8.22 (7)AT screen 8.22 (5)By: TwitterButtons.com